Patentable/Patents/US-10326923
US-10326923

Medical imaging processing apparatus for a virtual endoscope image

PublishedJune 18, 2019
Assigneenot available in USPTO data we have
Inventorsnot available in USPTO data we have
Technical Abstract

One or more medical image processing apparatuses, methods for same and storage mediums are provided herein. At least one medical image processing apparatus obtains a medical image including a tubular structure picked up by a medical image pickup apparatus and generates a virtual endoscope image of the tubular structure on the basis of the obtained medical image. The obtained medical image accepts a specification of a target portion on the tubular structure, performs control to generate a cross-sectional image of the target portion on a cross section observation line indicating a cross section of the target portion from the medical image and displays the cross-sectional image.

Patent Claims
20 claims

Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.

1

1. A medical image processing apparatus comprising: one or more processors that operate to: obtain a medical image including a tubular structure picked up by a medical image pickup apparatus; generate a virtual endoscope image of the tubular structure on a basis of the obtained medical image; accept a specification of a target portion on the tubular structure, the specification being performed on the virtual endoscope image; determine a cross section observation line that indicates a cross section of the accepted target portion and that is displayed on the virtual endoscope image on a basis of a size of the target portion; and perform control to generate a cross-sectional image of the target portion on the determined cross section observation line from the medical image and display the cross-sectional image.

2

2. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors further operate to: accept an operation of moving the cross section observation line in a direction intersecting with an extending direction of the cross section observation line, wherein the one or more processors perform the control to display the cross-sectional image corresponding to the cross section observation line in conjunction with the operation.

3

3. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cross section observation line is a line in parallel with a long diameter or a short diameter of the target portion.

4

4. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the cross section observation line is a line in parallel with a long diameter or a short diameter of the target portion.

5

5. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors perform the control in a manner that a first cross-sectional image generated while corresponding to the cross section observation line in conjunction with the operation is set to be in parallel with a second cross-sectional image displayed before the operation is accepted.

6

6. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors further operate to: obtain a viewpoint position of the generated virtual endoscope image, wherein the one or more processors perform the control to generate the cross-sectional image of the target portion from the medical image on a basis of the determined cross section observation line and the obtained viewpoint position and display the cross-sectional image.

7

7. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors further operate to: obtain a viewpoint position of the generated virtual endoscope image, wherein the one or more processors perform the control to generate the cross-sectional image of the target portion from the medical image on a basis of the determined cross section observation line and the obtained viewpoint position and display the cross-sectional image.

8

8. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the one or more processors further operate to: obtain a viewpoint position of the generated virtual endoscope image, wherein the one or more processors perform the control to generate the cross-sectional image of the target portion from the medical image on a basis of the determined cross section observation line and the obtained viewpoint position and display the cross-sectional image.

9

9. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the one or more processors further operate to: obtain a viewpoint position of the generated virtual endoscope image, wherein the one or more processors perform the control to generate the cross-sectional image of the target portion from the medical image on a basis of the determined cross section observation line and the obtained viewpoint position and display the cross-sectional image.

10

10. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the one or more processors further operate to: obtain a viewpoint position of the generated virtual endoscope image, wherein the one or more processors perform the control to generate the cross-sectional image of the target portion from the medical image on a basis of the determined cross section observation line and the obtained viewpoint position and display the cross-sectional image.

11

11. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors determine the cross section observation line at a position equivalent to a long diameter of the target portion.

12

12. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors determine the cross section observation line at a position equivalent to a long diameter of the target portion.

13

13. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the one or more processors determine the cross section observation line at a position equivalent to the long diameter of the target portion.

14

14. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the one or more processors determine the cross section observation line at a position equivalent to the long diameter of the target portion.

15

15. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the one or more processors determine the cross section observation line at a position equivalent to a long diameter of the target portion.

16

16. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the one or more processors determine the cross section observation line at a position equivalent to a long diameter of the target portion.

17

17. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the one or more processors determine the cross section observation line at a position equivalent to a long diameter of the target portion.

18

18. A medical image processing apparatus comprising: one or more processors that operate to: obtain a medical image including a tubular structure picked up by a medical image pickup apparatus; generate a virtual endoscope image of the tubular structure on a basis of the obtained medical image; accept a specification of a target portion on the tubular structure, the specification being performed on the virtual endoscope image; determine a long diameter of the accepted target portion; generate a cross-sectional image along the determined long diameter of the target portion from the medical image; and display the generated cross-sectional image on a display.

19

19. A medical image processing apparatus comprising: one or more processors that operate to: obtain a medical image including a tubular structure picked up by a medical image pickup apparatus; generate a virtual endoscope image of the tubular structure on a basis of the obtained medical image; accept a specification of a target portion on the tubular structure, the specification being performed on the virtual endoscope image; determine a long diameter of the accepted target portion; and superimpose information indicating a position of the determined long diameter of the target portion on the virtual endoscope image to be displayed on a display.

20

20. A medical image processing apparatus comprising: one or more processors that operate to: accept a specification of a target portion in a medical image; determine a long diameter of the accepted target portion; generate a cross-sectional image along the determined long diameter of the target portion from the medical image; and display the generated cross-sectional image on a display.

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Patent Metadata

Filing Date

December 15, 2016

Publication Date

June 18, 2019

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Cite as: Patentable. “Medical imaging processing apparatus for a virtual endoscope image” (US-10326923). https://patentable.app/patents/US-10326923

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